mummy
UK[ˈmʌmi]US[ˈmʌmi]
n
A dead body that has been preserved from decay, especially by being treated with special substances before being wrapped in cloth, as was done in ancient Egypt.
n
(British, informal) A child's word for mother.
Etymology
The journey of 'mummy' begins with the Persian word 'mūm', meaning wax or bitumen, a substance used in embalming. Through Arabic 'mūmiyā', referring to the embalmed body and the medicinal bitumen thought to be sourced from mummies, the term passed into Medieval Latin. English adopted it in the late 14th century to denote the preserved bodies of ancient Egypt, directly linking the embalming material to the final product. The unrelated, affectionate term for "mother" emerged much later in the 19th century, originating from the common childish reduplication 'mum' or 'mama'.
Analysis
The word 'mummy' is a simplex loanword. It entered English from Medieval Latin 'mumia', which came from Arabic 'mūmiyā' (embalmed body), a borrowing from Persian 'mūm' (wax). The informal British sense for "mother" is a separate development, arising from baby-talk reduplication.
Examples
The museum has an exhibit featuring an Egyptian mummy in a painted sarcophagus.
When I fell and scraped my knee, I ran home crying for my mummy.
Scientists used CT scans to examine the mummy without damaging its wrappings.